Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cupertino, California 95014
Friday, September 20, 1991 23:34 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE 229-HOUR INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED BAKERSFIELD FOR A FLIGHT HOME DURING BRIGHT NIGHTIME VFR CONDITIONS. APPROACHING HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT, SAN CARLOS, THE PILOT CONTACTED NAS MOFFETT AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO TRANSIT ITS AIRSPACE. THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO REPORT OVER THE AIRPORT. AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE AIRPORT HE LIKELY ENCOUNTERED A FORECAST OVERCAST LAYER OF CLOUDS HAVING BASES AT 1,000 FEET. THE PILOT MADE A 60 TO 70 DEGREE CHANGE OF COURSE AWAY FROM NAS MOFFETT AND PROBABLY ATTEMPTED TO FLY BENEATH THE CLOUDS WHILE OVER THE DENSELY POPULATED AND ILLUMINATED AREAS OF THE CITY. THE PILOT ENTERED THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS, CONTINUED FLYING UNTIL ENTERING A MOUNTAINOUS AREA AND LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE CITY. SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT THE PILOT REQUESTED THE FREQUENCY FOR A NEARBY RADAR FACILITY. THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA HAVING RECENTLY LEARNED TO FLY IN THE VICINITY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER ALTITUDE, HIS IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO ATTEMPT FLIGHT BELOW THE BASE OF AN OVERCAST LAYER OF CLOUDS TOWARD RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND THE FLIGHT'S INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S MISJUDGED WEATHER EVALUATION AND HIS IMPROPER VFR PROCEDURES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/20/1991
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2334
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CUPERTINO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95014
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2355 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 10
Weather Observation Facility ID NUQ
Elevation of weather observation facility 34
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 7
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 2
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2086
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 21 1991 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46307
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:44AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8272Y
NTSB Number LAX91FA399
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-8190045
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GOLDEN GATE AVIATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 603 SKYWAY
Operator City SAN CARLOS
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94070
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BFL
Departure City BAKERSFIELD
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2100
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SQL
Destination City SAN CARLOS
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --